CEC: Polling Stations Open as Municipal By-Elections Get Underway in Georgia

Polling stations have opened in several municipalities across Georgia as voters head to the polls in by-elections to fill vacant seats on local councils, the country’s Central Election Commission (CEC) said.

The by-elections are being held on Saturday in the municipalities of Vani, Tsalka, Dmanisi and Akhmeta, where voters will elect four members of municipal councils (Sakrebulos) under the majoritarian system.

“Polling stations have opened and voting is underway. A total of seven polling stations have been opened across the four electoral districts, including four in Tsalka,” the CEC said.

Polling stations are operating in the village of Kasristskali in Akhmeta municipality; between the villages of Velispiri and Ganakhleba in Dmanisi; in the villages of Imera, Bareti, Sabechisi and Livadi in Tsalka; and in the village of Pereta in Vani.

According to the CEC, members of the relevant district and precinct election commissions underwent specially designed training ahead of the by-elections.

Electronic voter verification and vote-counting machines are being used at three polling stations in Tsalka and at the polling station in Vani. Voting at the remaining precincts is being conducted using the traditional paper-based system.

A total of 2,225 voters are eligible to take part in the elections, while 50 voters have requested the use of mobile ballot boxes.

Seven candidates nominated by two political parties are contesting the four majoritarian seats. Candidates representing Georgian Dream and Strong Georgia–Lelo are running in Dmanisi, Tsalka and Vani, while only a Georgian Dream candidate is registered in Akhmeta.

The electoral process is being monitored by 56 observers from seven domestic organizations and covered by 187 representatives from eight media organizations.

The CEC called on eligible voters in the respective electoral districts to participate in the elections.

Voters are required to present either a Georgian national identity card or a Georgian passport at polling stations. Voting will remain open until 8:00 p.m. local time.

At polling stations using electronic voting technology, voters receive a ballot and a special ballot sleeve. They must mark the circle next to one candidate using a designated marker and insert the ballot into the vote-counting machine. Voting is secret, and photography and video recording inside voting booths are prohibited.

The CEC said its contact hub and media center would operate throughout the day to provide information to voters, media representatives and other stakeholders involved in the electoral process.